13 of the best baby-led weaning recipes

Teaching your children healthy habits starts right away. It’s important that you get out and exercise so your kids can see how important it is. Choosing quality foods go hand-in-hand with good exercise choices.

Understanding the benefits of baby-led weaning and how it works is important. Essentially, once your baby shows interest in solid foods (somewhere between six months and a year) let them experiment with real food. Whole foods like fruits and vegetables are perfect first meals and snacks.

Not only can baby-led weaning be healthy for your baby, but it can also simplify your life. The beauty is that your baby eats what you eat. So, these recipes are good for the whole family.

Breakfast

A healthy breakfast is important for every member of the family, so make sure your little one doesn’t miss out. Getting the day started with wholesome foods will help your baby learn better through the day. 

#1 – Egg muffins

These muffins are fantastic made ahead, frozen, and reheated as needed. When you’re deciding how much to make, just keep in mind that one egg equals one muffin. You can use any type of meat you’d like in place of the sausage, or you can omit it.This recipe is from Allrecipes.com.For a dozen muffins:1/2 pound bulk pork sausage12 eggs1/2 cup chopped onion1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, or to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in sausage; cook and stir until sausage is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes; drain.
3. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in onion, green pepper, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix in sausage and Cheddar cheese. Spoon by 1/3 cupfuls into muffin cups.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

#2 – Oatmeal muffins

I love this recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie. It’s versatile and healthy. If you follow the below recipe, you will get about two dozen delicious muffins.

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 2 1/2 cups over-ripe mashed banana
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 1/3 cups water
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp coconut or veg oil 
• 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• optional add-ins: mini chocolate chips, cinnamon, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, ground flax or chia, wheat germ, raisins, dried fruit, etc.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 380 F, and line 24-25 cupcake tins. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir very well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine and stir all wet ingredients (including banana). 
4. Mix wet into dry, then pour into the cupcake liners and bake 21 minutes. I also like to then broil for 1-2 minutes, but it’s optional. (If you let them cool overnight, they’ll no longer stick to the liners.) 

These oatmeal muffins can be eaten right away, or they can be frozen and reheated for an instant breakfast on a busy day.

#3 – Smoothies

If you’re thinking there is no room in baby-led weaning for purees, think again! Do you drink smoothies? Sure, you do! That means it fits right in with baby-led weaning. Smoothies are my favorite way to load my family up with fruits and veggies. 

Another surprising way to sneak in veggies is with Peekaboo ice-cream! You can read more about it here.

I like to start my children out with an open cup. A small juice cup or even a shot glass is about the right size. A little bit of smoothie is a great way to learn to drink from a cup because it’s thicker and slower moving than water.

• Orange
• Half Banana
• 3 Strawberries
• One cup of ice
• Optional add-ins:SpinachKaleCabbage (Red cabbage makes for a beautiful bright pink smoothie)AvacadoBell PeppersAny berry
  • Peaches
  • Mangoes
  • Yogurt
  • Kefir

Instructions

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

#4 – French Toast

This is basic and a staple in our home. You probably don’t even need a recipe, but just in case, here’s a fool-proof one. 

• 1 egg
• ⅓ cup milk
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 3 pieces of bread

Instructions

1. Wisk egg, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla together.
2. Dip bread in this mixture. 
3. Fry on medium-low heat for a couple of minutes per side.
4. Serve with fresh berries.

Lunch 

Lunches should be quick and easy. Here are some simple recipes to try out with your brand-new, hungry little eater. 

#5 – Sweet potato fries

Fries are great finger foods for little hands to grasp. It’s also good to introduce young children should to various flavors and spices. There’s no reason to keep their diet bland. 

• 1 Sweet potato
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ tsp curry powder
• Sprinkle of salt

Instructions

1. Cut sweet potato into fries
2. Toss the potato in the oil and curry powder
3. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet
4. Sprinkle with salt
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

#6 – Spinach banana muffins

You may look at this list of ingredients and think, “Wait! I thought she said quick and easy!” Well, while this might not be a throw-together-in-an-instant lunch item, you can make the recipe once and serve these crowd-pleasing muffins for several days! This muffin recipe from Joy Food Sunshine is a favorite for my whole family. I’ve made these as regular muffins and mini muffins. Both turned out great. I like the mini muffins best for my babies. If you don’t have a Vitamix or similar blender, just use oat flour. You can also use a regular blender to pulverize the spinach with almond milk.2 cups old-fashioned oats¼ cup ground flaxseed2 tsp baking powder½ tsp baking soda½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup coconut sugar or your favorite granulated sugar
• ½ cup almond milk
• 2 cups packed spinach leaves
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 2 extra-ripe large bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or line a muffin tin.
2. Put 2 cups of old-fashioned oats in your blender (Vitamix) and blend until the oats achieve the texture of flour. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
3. Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the oat flour (ground flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar). Set aside.
4. Add almond milk to the blender followed by 2 cups of spinach. Blend together until completely smooth and homogenous.
5. Add bananas and coconut oil and blend until smooth.
6. Add vanilla and eggs and blend until just combined
7. Pour wet ingredients to dry mixture and stir to combine (making sure there are no lumps)!
8. Fill each well in your muffin tin with ¼ cup of batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back when touched.

#7 – Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Whole wheat bread, peanut butter, and jelly. You know how to make it. Just because it’s an easy recipe doesn’t mean it’s not one of the best. No need to be a fancy chef. Busy moms need simple meals their kids will love. Don’t forget this classic! 

Dinner

Make an effort to eat your meal together as a family. Your little eater should be eating alongside the rest of the family so he or she can see how you eat. Eventually, your baby will want to copy you, using utensils. Let them! They’ll learn by watching you do it. 

#8 – Pot Roast

There’s nothing easier than throwing a meal in the crockpot in the morning and letting it cook all day. Everyone will be excited for dinner as it cooks and the yummy aroma fills your home.

• 2-3 pound roast
• Potatoes quartered
• Carrots cut as desired
• Onions wedged
• Celery cut as desired
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup water

Instructions

Put all ingredients in the crock pot on low and let it slowly cook all day. 

#9 – Maple-Glazed Salmon

Fish is a great early food for little eaters. It’s an easy texture for them to gum and it’s full of healthy omega 3s. This recipe from Food.com is my favorite. When I make it, I double the glaze.

• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• ½ tsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp water
• 4 salmon fillets
• Green onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 450*.
2. In a small bowl, whisk maple syrup, soy sauce, ginger, cornstarch, and water until smooth.
3. Place salmon, skin side down, in shallow 1-1/2 qt casserole.
4. Spoon glaze over fish.
5. Bake 17 minutes, or until fish flakes easily; baste during cooking once.
6. Sprinkle with green onion.

#10 – Spaghetti

Oh, I know, babies and spaghetti equal an epic mess. But babies love noodles. If you strip your baby down to his or her diaper and prepare for a quick sink bath afterward, the mess won’t seem so daunting.

You could always use a jar of spaghetti sauce instead of making it from scratch, but this recipe is so good, you should at least try it once. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, handwritten.

• Spaghetti Noodles
• Meat Sauce – start early so flavors have time to develop.1 ½  lb ground meat½ onion diced½ bell pepper diced2 cloves garlic1 T brown sugar2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 16-ox cans tomato sauce
  • 1 6-oz can tomato paste
  • 2 16-oz cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • 1 tsp basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Brown the meat, add onion and pepper while browning.
2. Once onions are soft, add garlic and cook for a minute. 
3. Add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Cook the noodles according to the package directions

Snacks

Keep the snacks simple. Cheese and avocados are great snack foods. You can also make a batch of these recipes to have on hand. Here’s an article with even more toddler snack ideas and recipes that you’ll want to check out.

#11 – Cheesy Chex Mix

This recipe is from foodnetwork.com and is full of crunchy textures.

• 3 cups Chex cereal
• 2 cups mini pretzels
• 1 cup cheese crackers
• ¾ cup grated parmesan
• ½ stick melted butter
• Pinch of garlic powder

Instructions

1. Toss all ingredients together and spread on a baking sheet
2. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes.

#12 – Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone loves a good chocolate chip cookie. These are soft, chewy, and delicious. This recipe is from delish.com.1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour1/4 tsp. kosher salt1/4 tsp. baking soda1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon5 tbsp. butter, softened1/2 c. granulated sugar

• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. shredded zucchini
• 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 c. old-fashioned oats

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
2. In a large bowl, beat together sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg, yogurt, and vanilla and mix until evenly combined. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in oats, chocolate chips, and zucchini. Drop by rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool for 2 minutes on a baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Note: Cookies will spread a bit, but not take on much color.

#13 – Frog Pops

A popsicle is a messy snack, for sure, but it’s one your baby will love, especially if they’re teething. When eating something messy, as I’ve mentioned before, it’s a good idea to strip your baby down to her/her diaper. Then the cleanup is not so bad. This recipe is from superhealthykids.com.

• 1 ripe banana
• 2 – 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1/2 cup coconut water

Instructions

1. Blender together until smooth.  
2. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

These recipes are just a few of the millions of good options to feed your baby. Have fun introducing your baby to your favorite foods, as well. 

As you provide healthy options and as your little one explores tastes and textures on their own, they’ll start developing good eating habits that will last throughout their whole lives. 

Melanie Musson is a writer for exercise.com. She has four children and loves to help them develop healthy eating patterns and a taste for a wide variety of flavors and textures.